Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Have you heard all the politicking in the press by Lloyd Carr for a Michigan-OSU rematch in the BCS title game? No? That's because he's not doing that. Lloyd is staying above the fray.

Contrast that with Florida head coach Urban Meyer. Following his team's stirring 62-0 victory over 1-AA Western Carolina two weekends ago, Meyer whined that a rematch of OSU-Michigan would be "unfair to the country," going on to state that if there were a rematch, and Michigan won, he wouldn't recognize them as the national champion. Of course, Meyer danced around whether the Gators should then forfeit the school's only national title in 1996, a title they got because they were granted a rematch with FSU in the Sugar Bowl, after losing to the 'Noles in November.

Boo fucking hoo, Urban. So let me see if I get this straight -- life is unfair? Shocker. Then again, so is scheduling a I-AA team.

And Meyer continued trying to complain his way to a title shot following UF's lackluster 21-14 victory over the worst FSU team since the Carter Administration. After folks said the Gators didn't get any style points for their ugly win against the 'Noles, Meyer said, "Here's our style: You got a Tennessee, you've got a Kentucky, you've got Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Auburn and at Tallahassee, said Meyer pointing out much of Florida's schedule.

Not so fast, Urbie.

We'll give you props for Tennessee, LSU and Auburn (which you lost). But those other teams you rattle off like you played the NFL's AFC West? C'mon, dude. Did you really just say Kentucky? Seriously? 7-5 Kentucky? And 'Bama? 6-6 'Bama that went 2-6 in the conference? And yeah, that FSU victory was great. Even 'Nole fans know this team sucked. That's like saying you beat Michigan in 2005. You beat a name, not a team. As for UGA, at 8-4, is that victory any more impressive than one over 8-4 Penn State, whose four losses all came to teams that are currently ranked in the top 12?

I guess the thing that pisses me off the most about Urb's comments is that, instead of simply calling attention to his own team's accomplishments this season, he instead feels the need to demean another squad, in this case Michigan.

How bush. Are you going start talking trash about USC now that Michigan has fallen to #3 in the latest BCS standings?

Look, every college football fan in America knows the current BCS system isn't fair. Tell us something we don't know. But it's the system we have.

So shut your pie hole, Urb, and worry about the SEC title game. Act like a coach with some dignity instead of an insecure 8th grader trying to score points in the cafeteria with the new girl in school. Because all the whining is making you look bad (and probably makes Arkansas want to kick your ass that much more).

27 comments:

yancey
said...

Now the rest of the country knows what FSU,UGA and UT fans have known for awhile, Urban is a prick

on a side note he just about "out cuted" himself this weekend aganist, Although UF beat FSU up and down, if he woulda stuck with the short, sprint out passes towards the sideline, UF would have won by alot more, But instead he brings in Tebow who only had 1 positive run, he rund a reverse and fumbles inside his own 30, he runs another reverse that takes him ount of field goal range, I was not impressed with Meyer or UF this, Thier not on the same level as OSU,UM, or USC. But they are better than FSU

On ESPN today, one pollster commented that he was ready to keep Michigan at #2 until he saw USC's performance Saturday night.

Apparently, this type of thinking is widespread as the human polls 2/3 weight tilted the BCS standings in USC's favor.

DISCLAIMER: I'm a big fan of USC, I have friends in school and in the athletic department there. Pete Carrol did a great job this year after losing all that talent. I wish that he wouldn’t have to deal with Leinart and Bush’s questionable living arrangements and the failed steroid tests but that program is a big target and it’s newsworthy if one of the players wipes their ass the wrong way. I have no problem with USC playing for the national championship.

However, that pollster’s bass ackwards logic is what is killing college football (yes, CFB is immensely popular but these annual BCS pissing contests will eventually have an impact).

If you compare U of M and USC head to head... U of M clearly comes out on top:

1. U of M put up 47 against Notre Dame in an AWAY game. USC put up 44 at home.

2. Michigan's loss was to the #1 team in the land. USC lost to an unranked, 4 loss team.

Oh well... the Rose Bowl is a helluva consolation prize. I wouldn't mind seeing U of M wax some SEC team there too as maybe that will tempers some of that "best conference in the land" rhetoric.

So yancey...FSU, UGA, and UT fans don't like Urban...shocker. You would think they would love a coach that has never lost to one of the aforementioned teams, and has never lost at home.

As for Urban bitching the way Lloyd doesn't. Well, hopefully if he can win a national championship (the right way...you know, undefeated and all like Michigan '97) then maybe he can settle down (though trying to replace a cocksucker like spurrier has to be tough).

Speaking of rematches - why don't we promote a rematch of ND & GT. If ND wants a rematch so bad, make it one where they had a competitive game.

IMO, if UM has to play those undeserving bastards again, I hope LC doesn't call off the dogs and let them get any cosmetic TD's to put a dress on the pig this game would be. If USC gets past UCLA and we have to play them, I hope you get an equally good matchup in LSU so we can put the SEC bullshit to rest. We need Wisconsin to play well too.

Thank you for pointing out to a greater audience the flaws of Florida's schedule, or for that fact Notre Dame's. I am quite sure that the style points against Western Carolina will come in handy for Urban.

I hate seeing coaches bitch about getting screwed by the system when the season isn't even over. There's nothing they can do about it, and it leaves the impression that they're trying to bully the pollsters. Call the AD or the college president and harangue them about wanting a playoff. Don't try to change the rules mid-stream.

Meyer's comments have been ridiculous, but Tommy Tuberville's earlier this year were just as bad. Charlie Weis's befuddlement with pollsters was worse.

Urban Cryer as a coach is a joke in the SEC. He is making one of the more talented teams in the nation on both sides of the ball look mediocre. That being said, damn right he doesn't want a UofM - OSU rematch vs. giving someone else a shot at the top. UofM had their chance and they lost. No other team in the title hunt picture has had a shot at OSU. It was UofM's only tough opponent, by far. UofF on the other hand has faced several and most of them were in a row. Even SoCal has faced more stiff competition than the Wolverines. That's not UofM's fault that PSU, Iowa, MSU are down this year (funding the MAC is their fault though), but pity shouldn't get you in to Glendale either. When everyone sits on their goddamned hands and only shrugs and silently pisses and moans about the BCS system, it will remain the status quo. But when guys like Tubberville and Urban bitch publicly and loud about it, even though they're trying to elvate their teams, the entire world north of the Mason-Dixon and west of the Rockies criticizes them.Damn funny blog & picture though.

So jim, it is a sectional issue: North vs South. The whole country is against the poor southern folk and their football teams. Give me a break. Florida should worry about beating Arkansas before they start complaining about being screwed by the BCS. Go back to your trailer.

Although you make a solid point re. the importance of speaking out against the lousy BCS system, you are wrong when you suggest that Florida has played a tougher schedule than Michigan has played.

Yes, Iowa, Penn St., and Michigan State weren't as good as usual or expected, but, as Yancey just noted, neither were Florida foes Georgia, Alabama, and Florida State.

True, Michigan scheduled two MAC teams, but Florida played Central Florida and (Division II!) Western Carolina. Michigan opponents Notre Dame and Wisconsin are comparable to Florida's Tennessee and Auburn, though you'd have to admit Ohio State is better than LSU.

So, at worst, Michigan's strength of schedule is about the same as Florida's. It certainly isn't weaker. Add in the fact that Michigan has been far more impressive in compiling its 11-1 record, and it's easy to see why the Wolverines are ranked ahead of the Gators.

If Florida manages to beat Arkansas, then the equation changes somewhat. But regional bias isn't the reason Florida is behind Michigan or USC--rather, it is because the Gators have not been as good on the field as the Wolverines or Trojans.

And so that you do not mistake my reasoning as strictly supportive of my Michigan team, I believe USC should play Ohio State if they defeat UCLA, mainly because they played a far tougher out of conference schedule (Arkansas, Nebraska, Notre Dame) than either Michigan or Florida.

The irony is that UF's only NC came in a rematch against FSU in 1996. FSU won the regular season game in the last game of the year, the planets all aligned, and UF got a rematch in the sugar bowl.

Oh, Steve Spurrier not only whined about the loss but whined about late hits in the regular season game and made a compiliation tape (a greatest hits tape, if you will) and sent it to the league office.

Every strength of schedule listing that I've seen shows OSU, USC, Michigan and Florida at or near the very top. I don't know that judging strength of schedule works to distinguish between these teams.

But Jim sort of inadvertantly stumbled onto a pet peeve of mine -- the idea of fault and no-fault when it comes to weak schedule. Lou Holtz spent half the goddamn season talking about how it's not Notre Dame's "fault" that it played a weak schedule, therefore absolving them of some fictional blame for playing weak teams. This phrase implies that succeeding against a slate of weak sisters should be rewarded if those opponents happen to be strong programs in an off year, and that judging a team objectively is somehow unfair. Similarly, Boise State isn't being faulted for being in a weak conference, it's being judged pursuant to its record. No one should be talking about "not their fault" when it comes to evaluating quality wins or giving backhanded compliments.

All of which is irrelevant to the issue of whether Michigan or Florida played a tougher schedule, because any argument on this subject is going to crumble into sophistry and arbitrary line-drawing. They both have played strong games against plenty of tough and not-so-tough teams. The end.

Good points ic- I don't disagree with a SoCal - OSU match in Glendale at all. With re: to Michigan and UofF schedules - for the sake of argument, I'll agree that WI and ND are similar to Tenn & Auburn (again, just for the sake of argument) - Michigan didn't play UofF's tough stretch in a row like Forida did and they sure don't play in a conference championship game at the end of the season (even though it would be a re-match this year in the Big 10 - so potentially 2 losses for Michigan if they did play a CCG). I'm not saying Michigan wouldn't wipe the floor with an SEC schedule this year (who knows), but they just haven't demonstrated that and only because their schedule didn't let them. UofF's rematch for the national title a few years back was a lot different than the UofM and OSU situation now. If I remember correctly, there were a shitload of losses in the top of the polls at the end of that season that threw those two teams back in the spotlight. That hasn't happened yet at the end of the season - if SoCal loses to UCLA (very doubtful), and UofF loses to Arky (which I'm guessing will likely happen), then no one should deny Michigan a shot at Glendale- AND that would then be more of a similar situation to UofF's rematch title shot a few years back. I hate UofF - don't get me wrong about that, but any team that survives the SEC this year with one loss is saying something pretty special about themselves in the national title hunt. Frankly I'd rather see Auburn or LSU in UofF's shoes right now and believe talent & coaching wise, that would be a more competitive representative from the SEC for whoever they play.

Differences in the potential UM OSU rematch and the FSU UF rematch of 1996 are as follows:

-UF dropped in the polls (no-BCS at the time) Michigan didn't drop in the BCS. They were both 3 point losses on the road to very good teams.

-UF went on to win the conference championship game 45-30 over Bama. Therefore they were conference champions, something 2006 Michigan can't say.

-UF needed help to GET BACK into the position to play for the title, Michigan (at the time of the quote) needed help to STAY IN the title game.

Those points aside, I know UF hasn't been able to distinguish itself as a clear number 2 team to play for the title.

Meyer has been pushing for a playoff as a result of this, not going out of his way to bash Michigan or butter up Florida. The media has been asking him too many questions about the system lately and as he does so frequently, gives and honest answer and not a bunch of coach speak.

...Meyer has been pushing for a playoff as a result of this, not going out of his way to bash Michigan or butter up Florida...

Anon 1:10

That's the biggest bunch of BULLSHIT I've seen on this forum since Buckstache rationalizes why their fans riot after games is because "Columbus is a big town", "it's only a few that spoil it for the whole bunch", or "don't pick on tOSU, it happens everywhere."

When Michigan stayed #2 after losing to tOSU, Meyer specifically said that if U of M got to play tOSU again then "something needed to be done now". Meyer is currently, and has a very public track record of, throwing other teams under the bus as it suits Urban Meyer's needs.

Quite frankly it's a toss up between USC, U of M, and UF. Michigan had the "best loss" of the three (gawd I hate that term). U of M performed better than USC against a common opponent. And while USC and U of M had some chaff on their schedules, UF played some I-AA competition.

With all of that said, it's a wash. And since it's a wash Meyer should keep his pie hole shut.

When has Carr complained about the BCS? NEVER... I haven't heard a questionable peep out of him... even when U of M got knocked down a spot and they didn't even lose last week!

When has Pete Carrol complained about the BCS? NEVER. Not once publicly... Not even during the controversy with LSU a few years ago. Carroll kept his mouth shut and prepared his team for the next freaking game.

...The media has been asking him too many questions about the system lately and as he does so frequently, gives and honest answer and not a bunch of coach speak...

I think the BCS sucks too... but there's a way to handle yourself with a bit of class instead of being the media's bitch. Which is what the original post was all about!!!

Another UF, 1996 difference...weren't they still ranked number 3 before the Sugar Bowl? I could be wrong, but I thought Arizona State was number 2 and Ohio State 4, but they were locked into the Rose Bowl. Only because Ohio State beat ASU did UF win the national championship, and OSU received some 1st place votes. In fact, if they had lost to Michigan 1 week earlier and had 1-2 more games to play, there is a high possibility Ohio State would have been 3 and Florida 4 going into the bowls, which may have produced entirely different voting results.

To me, the correct interpretation of the 1996 rematch is not answering whether a rematch is valid; it is that 1996 was a flawed system that did not match numbers 1 and 2, whereas the BCS does.

If Meyer is arguing against the BCS in favor of a playoff, he should outright state that Arizona State and Ohio State should also have had a chance that year to play for the national title. He appears to justify that national championship as a different circumstance, however, when the circumstances that led to that championship are more backwards than the present BCS system. So really, it is the same circumstances. He is arguing that a team not ranked in the top 2 gets to play for the national championship when a team ranked number 2 can be left out.

All in all we're talking about teams that didn't take care of business when they had the chance. Since you have to have a challenger to OSU (even though they only played 1 great opponent at home and only 1 good team on the road), I guess folks think SoCal makes a more worthier opponent than any other in the land. There's really nothing anyone can do to argue that, no way currently to prove it false, nor was there a way with the previous system.

Maybe Urban will get a chance to face ND in a bowl and beat the team who's headcoaching job he turned down before accepting Florida's.

Me? I'm hoping Arkansas can face Oregon State so Nutt can decide whether Dick and Johnson should have a part in taking the wood to the Beavers.

"When Michigan stayed #2 after losing to tOSU, Meyer specifically said that if U of M got to play tOSU again then "something needed to be done now"."

Holy shit, that is DEFINITELY trashing Michigan, I can't believe he would have the gall to disrespect them like that! Give me a break. He's bitching about the system (a correct argument with incorrect timing--this shit should be off-limits during the season). You can stop making up arguments for the guy. Nobody's trying to take anything away from UM here, so calm down.

Alright Yost, good point, but I still think that's more "complaining about the system" than "throwing Michigan under the bus".

Even still though, I would guess that I fundamentally agree with you guys: shut up and play whatever game you're fortunate enough to go to. Win all your games and you wouldn't be worrying about it. And, like I said in the last post, there's a time and a place for the complaining: why aren't these guys bitching about the BCS in the offseason when they actually have committees put together to fix the stupid thing? Be a coach during the season.

Meyer is a self-serving prick who talks out of both sides of his mouth. He will say anything and everything to get people to buy into his garbage. He contradicts himself all to often and nobody is willing to call him on it. Thank you M-Zone for calling it like you see it and keep slamming this little bitch.

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